Beneath a Sorbet Sky
by duo7700
Summary: Everything ends eventually, but you never know when it will. PostPP Rating may go up. Dash/Danny.
1. Sophomore

A/N: Hey all! I just got over a bout of writer's block so I can finally unveil my latest SwaggerBishie fic. I also joined Twitter. If you want to know the latest details on the progress of my story and my comic book series' updates, with the occasional worthless piece of information about my day thrown in for good measure, you can follow me JMSeastrom.

I was fifteen when I retired from superhero work. After the whole world saw undeniable proof of the existence of ghosts, The Guys in White, along with similar agencies around the world, received increased funding. I did a little instructional video after the United Nations sent a letter (and a check). Mom and Dad got several big government contracts for ecto-weaponry and Thermoses. They actually had to get a couple hundred employees. Needless to say, things got pretty nice at Fenton Works.

Life got better overall, really. I stopped worrying about Dash kicking my ass every day. He was completely in love with my alter ego, not to mention terrified that I would use my powers on him. It was around October when he grew the fuck up and stopped attacking those weaker than he was. His last victim was a positively tiny freshman. I think that kid won the Rugby gold medal at the Olympics recently.

School in general improved for me. I stopped having to miss classes to stop ghosts and was actually able to get an A+ in English. Lancer nearly had a heart attack. I easily aced every class I had in my last three years at Casper. I joined the debate team, at the request of Jazz, who thought that I might someday become a politician or something. I didn't see my life taking that turn. I started looking into various careers. I had a dream of becoming an astronaut, but found space pretty boring after taking a portal there. I considered the FBI or Interpol, maybe starting my own business. It'd be a couple more years before I decided on something.

Sam and Tucker got together shortly before Christmas. I didn't really mind. Sam and I had a couple of fake dates. We both said we were trying it out. We'd been together so long that we couldn't tell exactly what had changed between us. We decided it was like making out with a sibling. It was just weird. So, she and Tuck went out. They made a cute couple. Hell, in our senior yearbook, they got the coveted "Cutest Couple" spot. Paulina was livid. Kwan didn't really seem to mind.

Back to sophomore year, February, to be precise. I was listening to Tucker talk about his plans for Valentine's Day. He had every agonizing detail programmed into his smart phone. About an hour in, I told him to forget the plan and just make it special. I never told Tuck, but Sam called shortly before midnight that night. She just said, "Thanks, Danny," and hung up. Sam is smarter than she lets on, and knew that I had told Tucker to just do what felt right.

Towards the end of the year, Dash showed that he was capable of being a Decent human being. He got bumped into by that miniscule kid as he rushed to his next class. The kid's bag split open, spilling numerous thick texts across the hallway. Dash picked them up, apologized, and gave him the duffle that held his football gear. The kid proudly carried the red and white duffle emblazoned with a raven for years. In fact, the only reason I know it was him that won the rugby gold is I could see the duffle, Dash's monogram tattered and faded.

Overall, my second year of high school was rather uneventful, comparatively speaking. The most exciting part was chasing the Box Ghost away from the yearbook delivery truck. It's a bit sad.


	2. Junior

Third year was better. It was also one of the more terrifying years of my life. I'd say it ranks second or third. I was briefly called away in late August by the U.N. to help deal with an ecto-exodus in Siberia. Some former Guy in White went insane and stole a bunch of tech before heading to an old, disused prison. He stabilized a natural portal and enlarged it. He thought he was the Harbinger of the Restless Dead. Even the ghosts thought he was mad. It took a month for me to catch all of the ghosts and bring that portal down. The Harbinger, meanwhile, froze to death after he took off all of his clothes. Fun fact: It's not fun to fight an insane, naked ghost.

I arrived a little late, but I had a note from the U.N. to show my school. With help from Sam and Tucker, I caught up in no time. Hell, by Christmas we had finished the schoolwork for the year. Sam and Tucker joined the Debate Team and Chess Club to help kill some time. I went for a spot on the hockey team. I was the center. I had to wear a Specter Deflector, so the other team wouldn't say I was using my powers to win, but I was just there to kill time.

Dash, along with Kwan, were my wingmen. I was always underestimated by the opposition, since I don't really have an intimidating build. But, I'm fast and toned. I easily could pass the puck to Kwan or Dash, even with most of the other team between us. We were undefeated until we went to college.

The last game of the season, Dash and I were left alone in the locker room. The ice rink we played at didn't have enough showers for the whole team. I'm not exactly sure what possessed me to do it, but I crossed the warm, wet tile floor and kissed Dash. I didn't even realize what I had done until I felt my erection slowly sliding gown his thigh. I blushed and muttered sorry before turning away and walking over to my showerhead. In no time at all, I was spun around, pushed against the wall and felt lips crash passionately against my own. I didn't open my eyes, afraid it was a particularly strong hallucination. Finally, the lips pulled away, and Dash said, "I love you, too."

We kept our love a secret for a short while. We'd never heard of an openly gay couple roaming the halls of Casper. Hell, I've never seen one in Amity Park. We had nights together. I'd go over to his house, since it was less likely we'd be caught. His parents traveled a lot for work. Occasionally, he'd come over to my house when my parents said they would be working through the night. During Spring Break, I took him into the Ghost Zone. I learned that his favorite color was green, that day. He loved everything about that place. I had a little scuffle with Skulker, but got rid of him in no time.

Junior Prom was fast approaching and we had to decide: Do we go or not? We talked about it for weeks, even bought the tickets. Before we knew it, the night had come. We both thought it best to skip it. Nobody knew about us.

Until the last day of school. His parents decided that they wanted to have a family vacation. A three month one in the Caribbean. He would leave that night, so we decided to stop hiding. He picked me up at my house, my parents were speechless when I opened the door and Dash's lips immediately met my own. I blushed and told them I'd be home for dinner before pushing Dash out of the way and closing the door.

We kissed at every stop light. When he parked the car, I started to get out when he grabbed me into a kiss and I floated out the driver-side door. I never figured out if I floated or if it just felt like I did. I heard the occasional gasp from people hanging around in the parking lot. But I became aware that we were turning heads when Dash blindly backed into one of the entry doors. The dimmed din that I had heard moments before became a silent sea of students, all eyes fixed on Dash and I as his tongue caressed my own. We broke away and stared back for what seemed like two or three thousand years, before Paulina walked up to us and sighed, "Why are all the good men gay?" and kissed each of us on the cheek. Before she kissed my cheek, she whispered into my ear, "Be happy." The hallways erupted in cheers. I caught out of the corner of my eye a couple of teachers smiling softly, Coach Tetslaff and Dr. Fan, the biology teacher.

We shared few classes, we were together only for English and a few stolen moments between classes. Finally, the school year ended and we bolted past the student body to Dash's car. We had a few more short hours before he had to leave. I told him to pull into the Nasty Burger parking lot. As the engine cut-off, I went ghost and pulled him through the roof.

Flying through the Ghost Zone is different than flying through blue skies. The Ghost Zone is more sentient. It changes physics to suit the needs of the ghosts that call it home. When we went on a date in the Ghost Zone, Dash felt more like he was an air hockey puck, sliding against a cushion of air. He felt supported by more than just a hand holding onto his. The world of the living is either non-sentient or just doesn't give a shit.

Dash started screaming as he felt gravity try to pull him back down. He stopped when his eyes met my own and I gave him a reassuring smile. He nodded and I went higher. If I were alone, I'd go higher. When people see me in the sky, they think that something big is going down. They panic. But, Dash is still only flesh and blood, and the colder, less oxygen rich higher altitudes are uncomfortable for the living. I turned us invisible so that we wouldn't scare the public and went a couple of miles up. A bit chilly, but still enough oxygen to avoid altitude sickness.

Now, I only estimate this stuff. I don't keep an altimeter on me at all times. So, I kind of went over my target. Only by five to ten hundred feet, mind you, but the temperature drops about five and a half degrees every thousand feet, so on a cool, 71 degree day like today, it get pretty cold, especially when you factor in wind chill. As soon as we went visible again, it felt like it was in the mid 40s. I didn't notice until I felt Dash's grip loosening. I immediately took us down. As his feet touched the ground, I changed back, my lungs stung as I took a breath of air and I felt warmth spread through me. I fell to the ground and wrapped my arms around his shivering form. When he stopped shivering, he laid down in the soft grass. I rested my head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. We sat silently for four hours, until I had to fly him back to his house. He gave me his keys so I could use his car while he was gone. I used it only to bring it back to his house.


	3. Kings of Casper

Quick A/N: Rating is now M, because of paranoia. Nothing graphic, really, but still.

* * *

Three agonizing months passed. I had to explain to my parents that I was gay. Dad didn't talk to me for a week. Mom said it was because the family name would die with me. Truth be told, I wanted kids. Sam said she'd be more than happy to be a surrogate for us someday. Tucker said he was fine with that. I never asked Dash, though. He seemed like the kind of guy that'd want a kid. He talked about one day coaching little league or something.

It was a week before school started. Dash came home and immediately drove to my house. Dad got the door and, though he had accepted it, still wasn't happy that I had a boyfriend. He opened the door and let out a guttural growl. I phased through him, scowled, and dragged Dash down to the street. I explained to him that Dad hadn't fully accepted me being gay. Dash told me that his parents didn't take the news well at all. He told them on the flight home and they didn't speak to him until they got home.

He was kicked out. He had enough time to pack some clothing and grab his keys before he was thrown bodily from the house by a surprisingly strong accountant. He took his car and drove straight here. After he told me, I noticed his eyes were red and puffy and his cheeks glistened in the soft orange light cast by the setting sun. I kissed him softly, lovingly and told him to wait. I phased back into the house and went to the lab.

"Mom?" I asked. Mom poked her head out from the deactivated portal at the far wall and smiled.

"Yes dear?" She emerged from the portal, dragging a long length of wire that she had snagged around her ankle, "What's wrong?"

Mothers have an amazing ability to sense when something is wrong with their child, "It's Dash…"

"Oh dear, did he breakup with you?" she scoffed, "Did Jack scare him away?"

"N-no, Mom, no. Dash's parents kicked him out. He needs a place to stay…" My gaze had drifted down to the gleaming porcelain tiling on the floor.

Mom was silent. I didn't look up for fear of seeing some horrible expression on her face. Instead, she had silently closed the distance between us and pulled me into a hug, "I'll go talk with your father," she said before kissing me on the head and walking up the creaky stairs. I drifted up and out, back to Dash.

I told him what was going on. He and I worried that Dad wouldn't exactly be too thrilled to have Dash in the home. We worried until the front door burst open. Dad had broken the door frame. I was rather impressed, considering everything that door has been through. Dad looked livid.

"Dash," Dad yelled, frightening a small stray kitten that had been lurking under the RV.

Dash shot straight to attention, "Yes sir?"

"Where do your parents live?"

"Th-thirteen Ivory Lane."

Dad stalked off to the RV and left. Mom walked up, "You can stay, Dash."

Dad had a word with Dash's parents. Much more than a word, actually. They refused to let him onto the grounds, so he used the speakers in the RV. He shouted into the microphone. I got to say, going with Mom to bail Dad out of jail for disturbing the peace was the proudest I had ever felt. Dad had finally come to terms with having a gay son with a boyfriend.

The school year started and we waltzed into Casper as if we owned the place. Dash continued on with sports, while I took advantage of multiple free periods to do absolutely nothing. I occasionally did my homework or slept, but I usually just sat there, staring blankly at nothing in particular. I did eventually start thinking what I was going to do after high school. I hadn't given any thought to college. Dash and I shared one free period, at the end of the day. We left together and stopped at "Den Svenska Kocken" on the way home.

"Dash?" He looked up from his food, an egg noodle plastered to his chin, "Well, first, you got a little something on your chin," I reached over and wiped his chin with my napkin, "Secondly, what are we going to do after school?"

He swallowed his food, took a large sip from his Coke and opened his mouth, "I hadn't really thought about it." He looked back down at his lunch. A couple of times, he opened his mouth, but no sound escaped. We spent the rest of the meal in silence except when our waitress asked if we wanted anything. I left twenty bucks on the table and followed Dash out to the car. He started driving and it soon became clear that he had no idea where to go.

The car came to an abrupt stop. I had fallen asleep with my head on his shoulder and saw the green hills on the outskirts of town, no more than half a mile ahead. Dash had parked on a dirt pathway normally traversed by the electric company to repair the wires that wove their way through Amity Meadows. It hadn't changed much since the day he left for his vacation. The biggest difference were the flowers. Gone were the flame azaleas and prairie smoke of late-spring, replaced by the late-summer's meadowsweet and fireweed.

I slowly sat up, taking in the scent of the flowers as the wind blew through the windows. "This is where you brought us before I left," Dash said, staring into the distance.

"Yeah," I said.

"I thought of that day for three months straight. I went to the Caribbean, went snorkeling near a reef, sailed a schooner through an ocean of liquid sapphires. All I thought about was you," he paused and turned to face me, "I want to be with you forever, Danny."

"But…"

"I will go wherever you go."

"I'm going to Amity Park University." I said it without even thinking. I only knew the place was affordable, that we could both go there."

"Sounds good," he said, beaming at me.

The year continued on. Dash soon started football practice, while I watched him. Occasionally, Sam and Tucker would drop in and keep me company. On those days, we'd all go to the Nasty Burger and get a bite after phoning home to say we'd be eating out. In the second to last game of the season, he had a really bad shoulder dislocation in the last fifteen seconds of the fourth quarter. The game ground to halt and the ambulance rolled onto the field, infuriating Coach Tetslaff as the wheels tore the field to shreds.

I rode with Dash to the hospital. His screams of agony filled the small compartment and soon the hospital corridors. After he went to Radiology, he went straight to surgery. I had no idea what the doctor was saying, all I knew is that whatever he said, was bad. Mom and Dad explained it to me in the waiting room, but I didn't hear a word. I was scanning the hallway for the surgeon, hoping to hear "You can see him now."

Of course, the doctor wasn't the first person I recognized. I saw Dash's Mom and Dad stroll through the hallway, stopping a nurse to ask a question. They looked as though they'd rather be anywhere else. When they walked into the waiting room, they scanned the room for the least offensive seating. Unfortunately for them, Friday night isn't a slow night for a hospital. The only two open seats were next to me and between Mom and Dad. The Baxters briefly looked as though they considered standing, then a child ran right into Mrs. Baxter's shins and she let out a tiny sound of disgust as the child began to cry. They slowly made their way through the crowd and took the available seats. As Mrs. Baxter sat down next to me, I could feel her disgust. Soon, she began to fidget. I only assume she felt my utter disdain for her.

When Mr. Baxter sat down, I heard both of my parents growl. I didn't even know Mom could growl, but it turns out that hers is scarier. Mr. Baxter promptly mumbled something about forgetting to lock the car and walked off. My parent's eyes turned to Mrs. Baxter, who said she needed to find the little girls room. They didn't come back, nor did they leave. They visited him before we did, perks of having the recovery ward named after you, I suppose. They carefully avoided us, I barely saw a lock of golden blond hair when they hurriedly walked through a back exit.

Dash still wasn't awake. His parents had left him a sealed envelope on the nightstand. The monitors beeped softly in time with the rising and falling of his chest. About ten minutes of waiting and he began to stir. The nurse walked over and peeked into the cozy little room. Well, cozy by hospital standards. Soon, they pulled out his breathing tube and placed a mask over his head. Not long after that, he fell back asleep.

My parents left, knowing that Dash was okay, so that they could go to work tomorrow. They said they'd stop in on their way to work and lunch, if they had time. I told them not to worry about it. Dash woke up around two in the morning, shortly after the nurse had come in to reconnect a wire that had fallen off of its contact.

"Hey there, sleepy head," I said in a soft voice as his eyes fluttered open.

He responded with a grin, "I can't feel my arm, but I imagine that's a good thing."

I nodded, "Yup, the doctor says you're going to be sore for a long time."

"Did we lose the game," he asked, pointing to my glass of ginger ale.

"Tucker told me that Kwan made a field goal, so we won. The win wasn't nearly as sexy though," I replied with a sly grin.

"Tucker said that? How sweet," he said with a barely straight face.

I leaned forward and kissed him, "Smart ass."

Dash left the hospital near sun down with a foam sling that was strapped around his chest. I was given the awesome honor of washing him the first couple of days until the doctor could do a wound check. It wasn't the first time I saw him naked, but it was the first time since he moved in. Helping him get dressed and undressed was rather enjoyable as well. I spent the next several weeks helping him from class to class, as we either shared them or I had a free period. In no time at all, I started Hockey practice, while Dash took his turn in the stands. We had some dimwitted sophomore join the team to try to fill in the void left by Dash's injury. He was irritating and seemed to lack a nervous system, as he could take a blow to the face with a hockey puck and not even wince. He got a lot of the other teams guys to try to be the shit out of him without even trying. He was impressive, but the team would've been better. Dash helped where he could, coming up with some genius plays that even Coach Tetslaff had to admit were genius.

We obliterated the opposition, of course.

Around Christmas time, Dash got to take the sling off and started going to physical therapy every other day. I took advantage of his physical therapy to shop for his gift. I spent most of the time hanging out with Sam and Tucker or some other people from the hockey team. On Christmas, though, it was just Sam and I, Tucker having gone to his grandmother's house. We walked around a bit, exchanged updates with each other and had a fierce snowball fight with a few other seniors from Casper and their out-of-town relatives. It was about an hour before we were all exhausted. I said farewell to Sam and went back to pick up Dash.

Dash and I went back to Fenton Works and I made a pot of coffee to help fight the chill in the house while Dash put in a movie. I came in with the steaming mugs of coffee as Dash sat down. He took the bigger one with good arm and I set down the other on the coffee table before plopping down on the couch myself. I spread the fleece blanket that rested on the back of the couch and spread it over us before grabbing my own coffee. The title card came up: It's a Wonderful Life. I smiled softly and curled up closer to Dash. He put his arm around me with a sharp intake of breath.

"Careful with that arm, Dash," I said sternly, "I'm tired of not spending time with you."

"Yes sir, Mr. Fenton," he replied, barely keeping a smile on his face as he mock saluted me.

I let out a small chuckle, "I suppose I could always dislocate my shoulder too."

I planted a kiss on his neck and burrowed further beneath the blanket. Soon, I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up. The sun had fallen and the movie finished. Only the sound of Dash's steady breathing broke the otherwise deafening silence of the house. Dash, I assume, had taken my coffee mug and placed it next to his own. As I became more aware of my surroundings, I noticed the dim glow that was cast on the wall and the distant voices of my parents. They were obviously home and probably in the basement. The door was ajar, letting the warm glow of the light above the stairs out. Slowly, I took out my phone to check the time. Seven thirty, "Dash, it's seven thirty," I told him.

"Okay," he said groggily as he gently squeezed me with his bad arm before planting a kiss on my head. I got up and stretched then walked down to the basement. There, my parents were working on what appeared to be some variation on the Fenton Thermos.

"Hey Mom and Dad, we're up," I said as they both pulled back from the exposed circuitry.

"Okay, honey," Mom said, removing her goggles before turning to Dad, "Jack, go order some pizza." Dad's eyes lit up as though Christmas had come four hours early and bolted up the stairs. Mom smiled after him.

"Here Danny, could you hold this wire in place for me?" I walked over and held the small length of blue wire, "Thank you."

"So, new version of the Thermos," I asked her.

She finished soldering the wire in place, then consulted a schematic of the device, "Yup," she said before directing me to hold another wire in place, a khaki colored one, this time. "Stronger ectoplasmic detention beam, higher capacity and no release button. You'd have to hook it up to a release portal, which is a slightly smaller version of our ghost portal prototype from college, or spend a few hundred hours breaking it open with a torch."

"How much capacity?" I looked more closely at the schematic, which was more or less full of gibberish, except the diagrams.

"Well, theoretically, it should be able to hold two to four of your average ghosts. One of the really strong ones, like that Nocturne or Overgrowth," she said as she motioned at another small bit of wire, "No real way to know without testing it."

"What about Pariah Dark or something?"

Mom finished soldering the wire before turning off the soldering iron and work light and removing her goggles again, "It might work," she said, "He'd have to be severely weakened, though."

"Good to know, in case he ever comes looking for a fight again."

Mom smiled at me, "I don't recall you needing it when you kicked his butt a few years ago."

I blushed, "I had some help."

She gave a little laugh, "Upstairs, wash your hand. Dash too." She gave me a little push in the direction of the stairs, "Dinner should be here soon." She looked at her watch, "Oh, and your sister too."

I had completely forgot that Jazz was coming home for Christmas. As I went upstairs, I grabbed Dash, who was still a little groggy, and pulled him upstairs.

"You need to clear your stuff out of Jazz's room," I told him, "She's coming here for Christmas, remember?"

Dash face palmed himself, "I forgot. Could you help me," he asked.

I went ghost, "Danny Phantom, to the rescue!" Dash grabbed lighter items and anything that could easily be carried with one hand. I grabbed his computer and various items he had collected when he got his stuff from his parent's house. I then cleaned up the room, vacuuming and dusting and changing the sheets and whatnot. Then, I drifted into my bathroom and washed up before heading to the kitchen. I beat the pizza guy, though Christmas Eve isn't the best time to order out if you want something quick. The pizza arrived ten minutes after Jazz did, at eight forty-five.

The table is rather crowded when the whole family is there. I don't think Tucker and Sam could've fit in what little room there was. Jazz caught us up to speed on her first semester at Cornell, along with a few bits of information on her personal life. She got perfect scores on everything, of course. She and a few of her classmates do Karaoke every Friday evening, while every other Saturday night, they go to a variety of coffee houses where one of the group performs in a band. I thought her college stories would be less boring.

After dinner, I helped Jazz bring her bags up to her room while Dash helped clean up downstairs, where Dad had dropped an entire everything pizza, with extra everything. Jazz had brought home nearly everything she had brought with her, so I was thankful that the heaviest box she had brought with her was destined for the Christmas tree. When we got to her bedroom, she pointed at a spot in the corner where she wanted her luggage before commenting, "It smells like the Casper High football team is hiding their dirty jockstraps in here."

My first thought was, of course, how does she know what that smells like, but I didn't really want to know, so I replied, "Sorry, there is some Febreeze in the closet downstairs."

"Cool, thanks little brother," she said.

I honestly ambush me with questions, "You aren't going to say anything about me being gay or loving the guy you made freshman year a living hell for me?"

She smiled a little bit, as she opened a suitcase and began unfolding the shirts within and hanging them up in her closet, "Danny, we can't help who we love," she said with all the confidence of an old woman who had loved and lost for decades.

I wish I had something smart sounding to say back to her, but the best I could come up with was, "Okay." But wait, I had more to say, "Do you need anything?"

"I'm good, Danny. See you in the morning."

I walked out, closing the door behind me and went back downstairs. Dash was just coming in from taking the pizza boxes to the recycling. A light dusting of snow slowly started melting on the shoulders of his black fleece, "It's snowing pretty good out there," he commented. I glanced out the window and saw that the season's first snow had already coated the street in a thin layer of flakes no less than an inch in diameter.

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas," I sang as off-key as I could.

Dash chuckled, "Almost as bad as Paulina's voice."

"Wow, and I was trying to be worse."

After trading a few more lines with each other, each more horribly sung than the last, we went upstairs to my room. Dash went to take a shower while I stored Dash's clothes in a few drawers I had set aside in my dresser and put the rest in the closet. Dash came out towel around his head, "It's all yours, stud."

I desperately wanted to say something sexy, but I wanted my own shower even more, "Awesome," I told him as I walked over to the bathroom. As we passed one another, I grabbed his ass.

"Don't get fresh with me, mister," Dash whispered into my ear, backtracking to keep up with me.

When I got out, I poked my head out of the doorway and saw Dash already under the blanket. "I hope you don't mind Dash," I began, "But I don't sleep in my underwear."

Dash had a mischievous grin on his face, "As long as you don't mind that I don't either."

Best fucking Christmas ever, I thought as I strode across the bedroom to the bed. I sat on the edge and pulled a bottle of lotion from the bedside table's drawer. "Danny, how naughty…" Dash said jokingly.

I turned my head so that I could see him, "I'm just moisturizing, my lovely pervert."

"I know," he said softly as he shifted closer, "I'll get your back."

"Then I'll get yours," I asked as he took the lotion bottle from hands.

"You can have whatever you want from me," he said, planting a kiss on my shoulder. I shuddered, partly from the cold air in the room. Partly, not mostly.

Dash gently massaged the lotion into my back as I slowly melted into the bed. It wasn't long until I was laying on my back and he rested on his knees, going back and forth in a pleasing, rhythmic motion. I almost didn't want to trade places, but, truth be told, he needed lotion. I took advantage of my combat experience and, in the blink of an eye, he was below me. "Your turn."

"God, you just get sexier and sexier," he said as he relaxed and let it head sink into the pillow. I took the lotion, which had slid under the covers. I squirted a copious amount into my hands before rubbing them together to get it warm and then rubbed his back. It wasn't long before my movements became sluggish and Dash turned off the light.

I woke up, feeling warmer than I'd ever felt. It was still nighttime, as evidenced by the distinct lack of light. I took me a moment to realize I was sleeping on the bed. I was sleeping on top of Dash, who at some point since I'd fallen asleep, had turned around so that my head was resting on his heart, our legs intertwined while his arms were wrapped loosely around me, one hand resting on my back, the other on my right butt cheek. Then, it hit me: The reason I'd woken up is because I had to pee. I phased through Dash's arms, figuring it be the best way to get out of his embrace without waking him up. As I floated away, he turned over and pulled a pillow to his chest. I threw on a robe and went to the bathroom downstairs, figuring there'd be smaller chance of waking anybody up when I flushed. I skipped doors and just phased my way to the bathroom and back. I tossed the bathrobe into a corner and laid back down in bed, snuggling close to Dash and pulling the heavy blanket up around us. I kissed his shoulder about an inch from the tiny little scar from his surgery a couple of months previously and snuggled closer before falling back asleep.

Several hours later, Dash woke me up with a loud, "Hey! It's Christmas!" It was as though he were still a kid.

I opened my eyes and looked at the clock, "You are a adorable," I told him with a kiss, "C'mon."

I got up and threw on my pajama pants and a Christmas sweater.

We walked down the stairs together and we were met with a chorus of, "Merry Christmas, sleepy heads!"

I grinned as Dash jumped. I'm guessing his previous Christmas' weren't as cheery. I leaned over to him and whispered, "Welcome to a very Fenton Christmas."

Dash sat in the only available seat in the living room, so I sat on him. Rather comfortable to sit on, despite what you might think. Jazz got up from her chair and began handing everyone one of her gifts. Dash seemed shocked when he was handed a box wrapped in garish paper and a perfectly executed bow.

Dash handed the last gift to Dad and sat back down, beaming at everyone, "Alright, unwrap 'em!"

Soon, there were bits of shredded paper flying from Dad, while Mom carefully unwrapped hers so there would be less mess. Dash tore a single strip off and slid the paper off of the box in two pieces while I expertly peeled back the tape and left the paper in one sheet.

Jazz made Mom a new pair of monogrammed goggles with a Fenton Works logo on the side and Dad got a pair of pajamas adorned with a ghost being chased away by him and Jazz. I got a pair of slippers with a stylized "D" on them. It was similar to the "D" Sam had made a couple of years earlier. Dash got a jersey signed by Brett Favre. He was speechless. Jazz walked back over, "It was hard to make something for you, so I was going to get you the jersey, since Danny said that you were nuts about the Packers. I was lucky though that when my flight was delayed, I bumped into Brett. He's was more than happy to sign it."

Dash was quiet for a while longer until I knocked on his skull. "Thanks, Jazz," he said as he pulled her into a hug. Jazz reciprocated.

Thirty minutes later, all of the gifts were unwrapped. Each of us had a nice pile of new items next to us and we were all grinning from ear to ear. We sat and watched various Christmas movies and specials until Mom declared dinner to be done. We sat at the small table, which seemed much more comfortable than last night, eating ham and stuffing and freshly baked rolls until we were full, then returned to the family room to watch some more television.

A couple of hours later, people started heading upstairs to bed. Dash and I finished watching the movie that was on before going upstairs at midnight. As we passed each room, we heard snoring. Even Jazz, who was normally silent, was snoring softly and mumbling something about Newtonian Physics Gremlins. I'm not sure if that's a thing or if she's having some kind of nerdy nightmare. Mom was making a barely audible snoring whistle and Dad seemed to have freight trains in his sinuses. I followed closely behind Dash and shut the door behind us as we entered my room. He started shrugging off the new burgundy fleece Mom had gotten him. I helped him out of it, and tossed it onto a little hook on the back of my door.

Dash turned around and kissed me softly on the lips, "We never exchanged gifts, Danny."

I blushed, "My gift wasn't something I could really put under the tree."

"Mine wasn't either," he said with a mischievous grin.

I grinned right back before pulling him into an embrace, "Great minds think alike, I suppose."

Dash nodded towards the bathroom, "Shower?"

The thought alone put my hormones in control of my body, "Yes."

We both stripped down in record time and began a rushed and clumsy excuse for foreplay. It basically just amounted to an over abundance of kissing and groping. But, it was awesome, and that is all that matters.

We sidestepped into the bathroom and Dash detached a hand from my ass long enough to turn the water on before his grabbed a tuft of hair on the back of my head. As soon as I felt warm, moist air on my face, I guided us into the shower. The water stung as it hit my cold skin and Dash pulled away with a sharp intake of breath as his shoulder entered the jet of water.

I pulled away and Dash asked, "Did I do something wrong?" There was genuine concern in his voice.

I closed the gap again and kissed his smooth chest, "No. You didn't," I took a deep breath, "I'm just really new to this."

"Do you think I've had much experience with another man?" Dash smiled, "I mean with a body as awesome mine, I suppose it is a logical conclusion to make…"

I laughed, "Get over yourself, pretty boy," I told him, "I just don't really know where to go from here."

Dash sighed, "Look, I don't exactly know either, but it shouldn't be too hard to figure out." Dash bowed and held out a hand, "If you want, I lead this little dance."

"Well, Mister Baxter," I said in my best southern bell impersonation, "You are a gentleman."

"I try, ma'am."

"Don't push your luck."

He shrugged with a grin, "Sorry, I thought you wanted to role-play." I scowled at him, "Okay, geez."

He got down on his knees, "I think this should be an enjoyable first experience."

His warm mouth closed around my flesh and all I could say was, "Yes."

We stayed in until the water went cold and both collapsed on my bed, spent. Neither of us seemed able to speak. We curled up together and kissed, the taste of each other mixing in the other's mouth until it became a homogenous taste. In a couple of years, I called it the taste of love. Stupid, I know, but every couple has something stupid that is theirs and only theirs.

We took advantage of Jazz's presence nearly nightly. When January rolled around, she stayed home until the twelfth, when she left to go back to New York. We got a few hours here and there when my parents worked late. Once, we had an entire weekend when my parents went on a trip to familiarize the Guys in White with the latest tech they had come up with.

For the most part, though, we just enjoyed each other's company. At least once a week, we would go out with Tucker and Sam, occasionally Paulina and Kwan would come along. Paulina seemed to have grown up somewhat and no longer minded being around those not of the popular clique. Mind you, when people learned who I was and that Sam and Tucker helped me, we weren't exactly unpopular, but still, Paulina became a nicer person toward everyone. Well almost everyone. She was trying.

It was early Spring Break and Sam and Tucker had gone on a ski trip, along with Sam's parents, who were footing the bill. Kwan was left alone after Paulina was dragged off to Paris by her parents, so Dash and I spent our time with him. It was mostly tossing footballs around. We went and saw some completely stupid action flick. The writing was awful and the number of explosions was probably well into the thousands. It was like a Michael Bay movie, but watchable.

Kwan, thankfully would spend a fair amount of time helping his parents out at their shop or hanging out with other people. Dash and I, by this time, had gotten out hormones under some semblance of control. The two of us would still make out a lot, but sex was rarer. Maybe once or twice a week at most. We spent most our time together watching movies and TV or just laying in bed together. Usually without clothes, but whatever.

After Spring Break, we spent even more time together, but it was much less romantic. Our teachers had us working double time to prepare for our finals. Of course, Dash still made studying sexy, but not studying is much more fun. We were often accompanied by Sam and Tucker, who both seemed to have a knack for explaining some of the more difficult things to Dash and I.

A few months flew by and there was one small break in the studying: Prom Night. Truth be told, I thought it was a waste of fifty bucks, but Dash wanted to go, and how can I say no to that face? The night was full of the greatest hits of the last few years. I'm not exactly sure why most of that music was popular, but it was. Dash didn't much care for most of the music, either. We mostly socialized with those who came without a date or were taking a break from dancing, if you can call grinding dancing.

As it neared the end of the night, Paulina, stepped onto the dais and the room went silent. She thanked everyone for coming and voting for Prom King and Queen. Starr stood just outside the circle of light made by the spotlight on Paulina.

"We had a super great four years," she said, "The Ravens won a record number of games in every sport and broke the state record for most state championships won by a school in a year! Let's all have a round of applause for the Senior Ravens!" She cheered and threw her hands into the air and the crowd erupted in applause. Even the chaperones, teachers and parents alike, cheered as though they too were students. Coach Tetslaff was by far the loudest in the room.

"Now," she said as Starr stepped into the spotlight to hand her a glittering gold envelope, "We learn who our Prom King and Queen is!" She gently opened the envelope. Dotted throughout the crowd were girls who were getting impatient and Paulina seemed to be taking her sweet time. Finally, she pulled a small index card out, "The Prom King is… Danny Fenton!" The spotlight seemed to have already known where I was and I was soon bathed in a warm light. I felt myself begin to blush and fought the urge to go invisible as all eyes turned toward me and the room erupted in cheers and claps.

"And now," she started as the crowd finished, "The Prom Queen," she said, slowly pulling out a second index card, "Is…" She held it up and let out a snort of laughter, "Dash Baxter!"

Oh, my sides nearly split trying to keep in the laughter. I couldn't help but look at him with what may have been the goofiest grin ever given. Dash too was cheered and clapped at… and laughed at, of course. Dash shouted in the din of sound, "We're both Kings! Get it right, Prom Committee!" Soon, the crowd parted and a slow song began to play, Dash grabbed my hand and placed it on his shoulder, "I'll lead," he whispered before taking my other hand and placing one of his hands on his hip.

"And now, the first ever Kings of Casper, will take the floor," Paulina said softly. For several seconds, Dash guided me through a dance as though he had done it every day since he could walk. I picked up the moves easily enough before other couples started joining us. As soon as the dance was over, we left and went home, positively giddy.

A few days flew by and the seniors of Casper High sat for their final exams. To be perfectly honest, I thought they were the easiest exams they had ever given me. Dash said that his English exam was a bit difficult, but he had Mrs. McGowan, who was supposed to be more in love with English than Lancer was.

With exams over, the seniors no longer had to come to school, so the Nasty Burger and other popular teen hangouts were packed. Dash and I went hiking through the hills at the edge of town. We took his car out to the same access road we went to nine months ago and hiked to the tallest hill, which was topped with two ancient oak trees that had grown into one another, creating one massive tree. It was Amity Park's most well-known, yet least talked about, landmark. There were many names for it, but the most common name was Lover's Point. In the bark of it were carved hearts and names of centuries of young couples. I recognized a few names, but only knew one or two, though. I pulled out a knife from my backpack and handed it to Dash, who took it without a second glance.

I told him, "Lover's Point, have you heard the story, before?"

Dash nodded, "Long ago, a young woman, the daughter of a Maine governor ran away after her secret lover was executed by her father. She wandered for days before she was slain by bandits. She was found by a wandering priest and laid to rest on hill of flowers that were as beautiful as she." Dash stopped to take a breath.

"Her spirit found no solace in death and, to this day, she laments the loss of her love. So that she never forgot, she planted to trees that she tends. Each night, she waters the tree with her tears and looks upon it's gnarled exterior and blesses the lovers who place their names upon it," I finished for him. Dash kissed me and carved his name into the wood and handed me the knife so I could do the same. Dash slumped against the tree and I laid my head down in his lap. We watched the sun set in a blaze of fiery reds and oranges and yellows and then had sex among the wild flowers and grasses. We put our pants back on and took off our shirts, tossing them on top of the dirty boxers we abandoned. Years later I asked Dash why we did that. He answered with a shrug and said, "To signify the end of childhood and the beginning of life." I thought that was rather profound.

We both passed our exams and went to graduation together. Our entire class passed, and the room was packed. The ceremony took well over four hours, a fair amount was Sam's valedictorian speech. After we got out with our diplomas, we said farewell to those who were leaving for schools outside of Amity. Sam and Tucker were going to go on trip across the U.S. in an RV she got from her grandmother for graduation. Sam's family does things big, so it was massive and worth about twice the GDP of America and China combined. They pulled off their gowns and tossed them into any empty box that had once held them. They got into the behemoth and invited us in. I think it may have more square footage than my house. We watched a movie on HBO together before Sam drove us home and we said goodbye.

* * *

A/N: I'm not going to lie: This chapter was a bitch to write. At over 6500 words, it is, I think, my longest chapter ever and is four times (approximately) longer than the previous two combined. The first three chapters were originally supposed to be one that encompassed the final three years of high school. The first seven chapters of this story are "Act One".

I'd also like to go ahead and tell you that I'm going to be having surgery sometime soon. Soon, meaning anywhere between now and early next year, but still. Updates may be interrupted by it, but it'd take much more than pain to stop me from writing, so I'll still update as often as possible.

Another thing... Review. I don't care if you log in or not. I live on feedback. Without feedback on my stories, I'll shrivel up and die. Actually, I have no clue what would happen, but I need it, dammit!


	4. Amity Park University - Year 1

**A/N: Hiya! Been a while, I know. I went of my outline again, made some tweaks and found my inspiration again. Previously, this chapter covered most of their college years, but now covers only year one. I hope you enjoy it. Next chapter is being written now.**

* * *

The Summer months were rather uneventful. We went to a Humpty Dumpty concert and I won fifty dollars after I proved to Dash that I could give myself a blowjob. Besides that, Dash and I both chose a degree in Nursing. We both desired a spot outside the limelight. I'd had enough of it when I was fourteen, of course, but Dash seemed to enjoy it until a couple of months after graduation. I never asked him why, I figured he'd tell me when he was ready.

We each were careful to take the same classes and agreed we wanted to finish school quickly, so we took twenty plus credits each a semester. We would be exhausted quickly, no doubt, but we'd had enough of school and wanted it out of the way. Amity Park University was twenty or so miles away and was in a small city called Taggerton. Taggerton is home to many nightclubs and apartment buildings, with APU at it's very center. In recent years, suburbs started sprouting up around it and played host to a small variety of businesses, from a manufacturing plant that mass produced some of my parents' inventions to an accounting firm. A few months earlier, they broke ground on a new hospital, which Dash and I were hoping to work at, at least until we finished all of our schooling.

We decided to leave the comfort of my parents' house and found a couple who were going to APU named Mordechai and Eloise. They were working on their Bachelor's degrees, Mordechai's in Molecular Physics and Eloise's in Psychology. Their house was older and within walking distance of the campus. It was, at one point, a theatre that the school had built sometime in the early eighties. Several years later, APU ended their drama program and the theatre was bought by Vlad Masters, or more likely, by someone who worked for him.

We spent little time with them, as they not only had a full course load but worked full time. We learned that they grew up together somewhere in Arizona and were born only two weeks apart, Eloise being the older of the pair. They also shared a strange infatuation with Burt Reynolds. I doubt that was all there was to them, but it is all we had time to learn.

School was as you would expect it to be: school-y. It had a decent number of people around our own age. I thought it was a huge plus, since a fair number of young adults don't pay attention to the news. I thought it likely that nobody would know me. Sadly, as Dash and I headed toward the campus on the first day of class, heads turned and I learned how creepy it is to be stared at by dozens of strangers while doing a mundane task.

"I told you," Dash said as we passed a café where people stared out the window, "I told you people pay more attention than you think."

I punched him lightly on the shoulder, "Yeah, yeah," I told him, "You were right."

He grinned and kissed me on the cheek as we passed a group of sorority sisters, who had just stopped chatting to properly gawk at me. "Cheer up, Danny! You'll be right someday."

"Oh? You know I can phase you right into the sewer, right?"

"See, you're right!" Dash bolted away with a big grin on his face.

I ran right after him, "It's on, pretty boy!"

The first year was remarkably uneventful. A few weeks in, I stopped turning heads, though every semester afterward, a few new students would stop and stare. Once or twice a month, someone would ask me to autograph something, usually a shirt emblazoned with a stylized "D" on it. Someone neither I nor Dash had ever seen asked me to autograph my school picture from senior year of high school, which was a bit stalkerish, but I asked no questions and I took a picture with the young lady. We met a few people, most of which moved away or graduated. It was basically like our summer, only with less concerts and more work.


End file.
